<b>Keyport</b>

Striped bass fishing was excellent on livelined bunker in the past week, Capt. Frank from the <b>Vitamin Sea</b> wrote in an email. Catches on the vessel’s trips ranged from boat limits to just a couple of the fish, and all the stripers were sizable, and none was a throwback. A 30-pounder was largest, and seeing the bass roll and smash through bunker schools was a spectacle. When boat traffic was light, the Vitamin Sea could take long drifts, so the anglers could cast top-water plugs, watching stripers smash the lures. That was exciting, fun. Trolling spoons also hooked the bass. Angler skill played a part in catches. When livelining, anglers became excited, often setting the hook prematurely, pulling the bunker out of the bass’s mouth. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and the schedule is booked with charters through Monday. Open-boat trips will resume on Tuesday, and telephone to jump on an open trip or book a charter. On the open trips, if the cold front doesn’t push stripers out of Raritan Bay, the trips will keep fishing for stripers there. If the cold does draw the bass to the ocean, the trips will fish for a combo of stripers and blackfish. The blackfish bag limit will be raised to six starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. If stripers are seen under birds on the way to the blackfish grounds, the trips will stop on the stripers. Otherwise, the trips will sail straight to the blackfish grounds. Of course, if anglers just want to striper fish or blackfish, trips will do that. Crabs for blackfish and eels for stripers will be carried on each trip. Some dates on weekends are still available for blackfish charters.  Bookings are being accepted for spring striper charters. See photos on the <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/vitaminseafishing" target="_blank">Vitamin Sea’s Facebook page</a>. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!” <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/13:***</b> Striper fishing was good, and the fish to just under 30 pounds were walloped, right now aboard, Frank wrote in an email at 10 a.m. on today’s trip. He expected to send a photo later today to be posted on this site.

Fishing for striped bass was good in mornings, slow in evenings, said Capt. Mario from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Trips had included open-boats for stripers several nights per week. But now those trips will fish in mornings, and check the schedule on the boat’s website, and sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> on Down Deep’s website to be kept informed about open trips, including for blackfish. Mario looks forward to the blackfish bag limit being increased to six starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Trips for the tautog will begin then. Open trips will include a couple of sea bass trips offshore. Charters are also sailing, of course.

Raritan Bay’s boating for striped bass is picking up, and bigger stripers are showing up than before, but the angling’s spotty, said Joey from <b>Joey’s Bait Shack</b>. Trips trolled the fish on bunker spoons, Stretch 25 lures and umbrella rigs with tubes, and dunked clams, bunker or eels for the catches. A 32-pound striper, boated on the bay on a bunker head, was the largest weighed-in from the fishing so far this season. Anglers along the bay shore caught stripers, but “nothing to brag about.” The fish were small, and keepers were 28 to 30 inches. Clams and bunker heads socked them. Any bluefish? Joey was asked. Sandy Hook’s surf blew up with blues a couple of days ago, he said.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Throwback striped bass, keepers and bluefish boiled along the water surface several hours on Wednesday’s trip on the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. The fish fed on rainfish, “which is not an easy task, and (is) very frustrating” for even the best anglers, he said. “Those who worked hard were rewarded.” Fog was pea-soup thick during all but the last 40 minutes of the trip. So Ron worked the radar to find the boiling fish. The cold weather now should get bigger stripers feeding on bait, with birds working the bait, along the ocean, and Ron couldn’t wait, and anglers shouldn’t wait either. On Tuesday’s trip, once life was found, plenty of throwback stripers, some keepers and some blues bit. The trip began in search mode, and at first found bait and stripers along top, but only a few throwback stripers hit, and the trip started searching again, until the better life was found. That’s when all the throwbacks, some keepers and some blues bit. Monday’s trip looked over a new area at first, searching for bigger stripers. Only a ton of bait and hundreds of gannets sitting on the water were found. The trip took another ride, and stripers and blues gave up action as soon as the boat was stopped. The angling died when the tide dropped off, but turned back on, once the tide flowed. Not a whole lot of the stripers were keepers, but it was fun. Rubber shads caught plenty of the trip’s fish. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass and blues 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and for stripers 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Fishing was good, and the shop was busy with customers, said Joe Sr. from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Trolling for striped bass was great on the back of Raritan Bay, near Staten Island, and on the ocean toward Long Island. Montauk bunker spoons especially clocked them, but umbrella rigs with rubber shads lit into the fish.  Large blues 14 to 20 pounds were also trolled, and trolling was hot. Surf fishing wasn’t bad for striped bass from Sandy Hook to Long Branch. Big blues also tore through the surf. Lots of skates grabbed bait in the surf. Dog sharks pestered boaters. Navesink River had seen action with stripers, but anglers there need to know what they’re doing. Joe was unsure what they caught the fish on. From bottom-fishers on the ocean, he heard nothing about porgies and sea bass. But he knew blackfishing was good on bottom trips. The blackfish bag limit will be amped up to six starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one.

On the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, porgy fishing was good the last couple of days, Capt. Tom said. Anglers should take advantage, before trips focus more on blackfish starting on Sunday. The bag limit will be pulled up to six of the tautog that day, from the current limit of one. Blackfish will be the emphasis starting then, but porgies and sea bass will still be sailed for. The porgies the last couple of days were mixed sizes, including big, and all anglers left with dinner-plus, he said. The angling was decent, okay, and some anglers might not prefer to target porgies. But the porgies provided fish for anglers to bag, and not a lot of sea bass were around, and one blackfish is the bag limit, until Sunday. Dog sharks were a nuisance farther from shore, so trips fished a new area to avoid them. Tom wished more sea bass were in, but by the time a trip would run around, looking for them, not many were hooked. The Atlantic Star is fishing for porgies, sea bass and blackfish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily through Saturday. Starting on Sunday, the trips will focus on blackfish, but still sail for all three.

<b>Neptune</b>

No trip fished on Wednesday with <b>Last Lady Fishing Charters</b>, but trips did on Monday and Tuesday, and are supposed to fish from today through Sunday, Capt. Ralph said. On Monday’s trip, striped bass weren’t big, but fishing for them was good. The trip also dropped for blackfish, and the season’s first was bagged on the boat. On Tuesday’s trip, only 20 or 30 throwback stripers and one keeper were totaled. “Hero or goat – today we were the goat,” Ralph wrote in an email. Made a wrong turn – that’s striper fishing, he said. Buddies nailed the fish, good catches, elsewhere. Ralph expected to “re-group” and catch them today. Two spaces became available for an individual-reservation trip for blackfish on Sunday, because of last-minute cancellations. The bag limit will be yanked up to six of the tautog that day, from the current limit of one. An individual-reservation trip for blackfish and stripers was recently added for this coming Tuesday. Space is also available on individual-reservation trips for blackfish on November 20 and 30. The blackfish trips will also sail every Sunday, Tuesday and Friday in December. Charters are available daily. <b>***Update, Thursday, 11/13:***</b> Bigger fish today, Ralph wrote about today’s striper trip in an email. Good-sized stripers were boated, and no throwbacks showed up. “Only problem – trolled most of them,” he said. Only a few blues, to 14 pounds, bit, and all the anglers left with a healthy amount of fillets. “Back at it tomorrow,” he said.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>XTC Sportfishing</b> limited out on striped bass on Tuesday on livelined bait and on the troll, Capt. Scott said. The trip hooked the fish throughout the day, and on a trip the next day, Wednesday, striper fishing was better in the morning, once fog lifted, and Scott could see where to head. A few stripers were boated, and were large, and lots were lost, all on livelined bait. The trips fished the ocean from Shark River Inlet to Seaside. Most anglers are interested in stripers, but blackfishing will become available starting Sunday, when the bag limit will be perked up to six, from the current limit of one.

Only a few throwback striped bass were reeled aboard on Monday, but tons of big, gator blues were tackled on the trip, and striper fishing was phenomenal on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s trips, said Capt. Pete from <b>Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters</b>. Starting Tuesday, Pete decided to fish a different area, and schooling bunker were found, with 18- to 20-pound stripers chasing them. The bass were mostly smashed on rubber shads and livelined bunker on the boat. Most trips will sail for stripers this month, but the season’s first blackfish trip is slated for Sunday. The bag limit will be hauled up to six of the tautog that day, from the current limit of one. Plenty of space is available for blackfish charters in December. Don’t have enough anglers for a charter? Jump on <a href=" http://www.parkerpetefishing.com/" target="_blank">Parker Pete’s website</a> to subscribe to the emailed newsletter to be kept informed about last-minute, individual spaces available to fill in charters. Look for the place to sign up on the right side of the page.

Surf fishing took a turn for the better, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an email. Good numbers of striped bass were reported banked at night from Seaside to Monmouth Beach. Many of the fish, from throwbacks to weighing in the teens, were hooked on Daiwa SP Minnows, Bombers, darters and teasers. On Shark River, winter flounder fishing was off the charts. Many of the flatfish were 16 to 20 inches, and remember that the bag limit is two flounder per day that are 12 inches or larger, Bob reminded. Game wardens were active, “as they should be,” he said. Adam Waskis from Port Reading this week brought in an 11-pound 8 ounce blackfish and, on the next day, a 14-pound 8-ouncer. “He sure knows where the big fish live,” Bob said. “Good fishing. Fall is here.”

The daily trips will begin to sail for blackfish on Sunday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. The trip that day will depart at 6 a.m., and otherwise, the boat fishes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Green crabs will be supplied, and white leggers will be available for sale, on the blackfish trips. Through Saturday, the trips will continue sailing for sea bass and porgies, and that angling’s been good.

Striped bass – keepers and throwbacks – and blues were angled today on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, “just not enough,” a report on the vessel’s website said. Readings, fish rolling on top and bird life looked great most of the trip. But on Wednesday’s trip, fishing was great for a mix of keeper and short stripers. Several anglers limited out, and the trip also beat plenty of blues. Fog made boat traffic light, and fish were seen along the water surface most of the outing. Boat traffic was unreal on Veterans’ Day, Tuesday, and every time fish started to splash around, the smaller boats drove through them. The trip picked at keeper and throwback stripers and at blues, and moved to lots of places. “Was a long day,” the report said. On Monday’s trip, keeper and short stripers were landed, but lots of blues had to be sorted through. If it had been a bluefishing trip, the crew would’ve said the angling was outstanding.  The Golden Eagle is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and on Striperthons 6 a.m. to 3:30 or 4 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Offshore wreck-fishing trips will sail every Friday night in December for giant sea bass, porgies and cod, and don’t forget to reserve them.

Plenty of striped bass and blues were seen and marked on today’s trip, fishing on the ocean to the north, on the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>, an email from the vessel said. “But they just did not want to bite,” it said. A handful of stripers and some blues were pasted, and the trip put in extra time. Wednesday’s trip fished to the east of Shark River Inlet, and blues, with stripers mixed in, “along with throwbacks,” it said, were “on” right away. Fishing for blues 6 to 12 pounds was good at times, and overall, the trip’s angling was good. Jocelyn Diaz from Monroe, N.J., won the pool with a 30-pound striper.  Tuesday’s trip also fished east of the inlet, and a few stripers, “with some throwbacks,” it said, were cracked first thing in the morning. Then blues 6 to 10 pounds and stripers 12 to 15 pounds were picked throughout the trip, and plenty of the fish were seen and read, “(but) they did not want to cooperate,” it said. The Miss Belmar Princess is sailing for striped bass and bluefish 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. On Thanksgiving, a special trip will fish 6 a.m. to 12 noon, and reservations are required.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

Anglers picked away at good-sized sea bass and some cod and ling on Wednesday on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b> “again,” Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s website. Bergals were “a pain … You had to wait for the right bite,” he said. But the fishing was okay, and the high hook bagged 12 sea bass. There was plenty of action, and all anglers left with dinner. A cod won the pool, like on recent trips.  Daily trips will switch to blackfishing starting on Sunday, when the bag limit becomes six of the tautog, compared with the current limit of one. Through Saturday, the Norma-K III is fishing for sea bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Magic Hour Ling and Cod Trips are sailing 3 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

Bottom-fishing was okay on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Porgies, sea bass, a handful of ling and a few small cod were pitched aboard. So were a half-dozen to a dozen blackfish per trip, just-keeper-sized or throwbacks. But crabs weren’t carried aboard for blackfish bait, and areas weren’t targeted where blackfish would gather. Trips tried for porgies, fishing shallow, in 90 to 150 feet, because dog sharks were a nuisance in deeper water. Dogs started to be somewhat of a problem in the shallower water, too, and that started to slow catches of the other fish. Butch hoped for colder water to chase the dogs offshore. But the ocean was warm, or 55 to 57 degrees, and the currently colder weather probably won’t be enough to drop the water temperature substantially. Sustained cold would be needed. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Surf anglers heaved in some good-sized striped bass on Wednesday morning, in the fog, said Mario from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. A photo of one of the anglers with two stripers 9 and 10 pounds, clammed at Lavallette that morning, was posted on the shop’s Facebook page. But surf fishing was fairly good at night for stripers the last two or three days at Island Beach State Park. No particular time at night was best, just in the dark, he said. Clams, bunker and swimming plugs like Daiwa SP Minnows caught at night. Another photo was posted of a 23-1/2-pound striper that was eeled from the surf at Island Beach. Boaters hooked stripers pretty well, close to shore, on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait. Not many customers fished Barnegat Bay. But throwback stripers could be played on the bay behind Island Beach and off Cedar Creek. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River this year, and is running both shops now.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, striped bass were sometimes dragged in, mostly during low light, like in early morning and at night, on swimming plugs, clams, bunker or nearly any of the usual tackle, said Kevin from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. If the fish are there, they’re going to bite it, he tells anglers, he said. The fish mostly came from Island Beach State Park to Lavallette, but also came from farther north, including way north, like at Asbury Park, Deal, Long Branch and Monmouth Beach. Stripers were also boated on the ocean, not tight to shore recently, that he heard about, but right up against shore previously. Boaters either trolled the bass or tried to locate bunker schools to snag and then liveline the menhaden for bait to the stripers. They trolled bunker spoons or umbrella rigs with rubber shads or tubes. Hear about bluefish? Kevin was asked. A friend banked a 5-pound blue from the surf the other day on a Daiwa SP Minnow, and two blues were weighed from the surf at another local tackle shop a week or two ago. Ling were actually heard about from the surf. An angler said he plucked them on artificial worms like Gulp bloodworms, and that was unconfirmed. Any blackfish reported? Kevin was asked. A buddy boated blackfish along Manasquan Inlet. The Dock Outfitters, located on Barnegat Bay, blocks from the ocean surf, features a bait and tackle shop, boat and jet ski rentals in season, a café and a dock for fishing and crabbing.

<b>Forked River</b>

The ocean tossed up striped bass for boaters off the bathing beach at Island Beach State Park and the Ferris wheel at Seaside Heights, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were hooked on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait or on trolled umbrella rigs. Not much was heard about Barnegat Bay recently. But when last heard about, the bay put up stripers on eels at Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. Customers also headed out for blackfish, but no results were heard. Eels are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

For the fleet, including a charter on the <b>Super Chic</b>, on Tuesday, striped bass fishing was slow, the boat’s Facebook page said. Stripers were seen, but failed to bite. But late in the day, the Super Chic was moved close to the beach, and bunker schools were found with stripers chasing them. The charter aboard clobbered five sizable stripers to 28 pounds, and missed quite a few bites. The vessel’s trips have been livelining spots and bunker for bait, the captain said in a previous report here. He’ll see how Friday’s suddenly cold weather will affect striper fishing, he wrote on Facebook.

The party boat <b>Miss Barnegat Light</b> is normally fishing on Fridays through Sundays, but trips were scheduled for Monday and Tuesday this week, according to the vessel’s Facebook page. That was apparently because of Veterans’ Day on Tuesday, and too few anglers showed up to sail on Monday. So the crew sent them to the other boat at the dock. Fish bit. “Wouldn’t you know,” the page said. Blues, throwback striped bass and keepers chewed in the ocean from Barnegat Inlet to the Rockaways that day. The fishing looks promising, though only a few catches chomped on Tuesday on the Miss Barnegat Light. “They were there, but we only caught a few,” the page said. Maybe this cold front will trigger them to feed. The Miss Barnegat Light is fishing for striped bass and blues 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday through Sunday.

Lots and lots of striped bass were seen in past days, said Vince Sr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. The fish were tied into everywhere from the ocean to Barnegat Inlet to Barnegat Bay, and livlined spots seemed to catch them best. Plenty of blackfish were tugged-in from along the inlet’s rocks, and the bag limit will be increased to six of the tautog starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Bobbie’s features a complete bait and tackle shop, a fuel dock and, in season, boat and kayak rentals. The boats are used for fishing, crabbing, clamming and pleasure. The store is known for bait supply. Baits stocked currently include live spots and green crabs.

<b>Surf City</b>

Two striped bass from the surf were entered today in the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic, said Sue from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Entries in the tournament kept increasing, and stripers were also bagged from the surf that weren’t entered in the contest, of course. But customers concentrated on the tourney. Surf fishing for stripers wasn’t super, was never a blitz lately, but this was a better year for the angling, and the fishing kept improving now, and that was encouraging. The angling was certainly better than at the beginning of the tournament. Most stripers caught that Sue knew about were hooked on bunker. Clams took the second most, and plugs, like needlefish, Daiwa SP Minnows and darters, grabbed the third most, that she heard about. But that didn’t mean any of those caught best for all anglers, and that was just what she heard about. Only two weeks are left in the tournament, running from October 6 to November 30. This is a big weekend for the event, because of two prizes. A $500 prize will be up for grabs for the biggest bluefish. A private angler donated that and $500 for the biggest striper, and the striper prize was already won. That bluefish prize was already offered once or twice before, Sue thought. Plus, the tournament’s $1,000 prize, in honor of Frank Panzone, is up for grabs for the biggest striper this weekend. See the tournament’s rules and prizes online for details, like the particular day or days these prizes are available, and all other rules. Anglers still complained about skates and dog sharks from the surf, like before. Anglers fishing along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks landed blackfish, and six will become the bag limit for the tautog starting on Sunday, compared with the current limit of one.  Boaters on the ocean slid-in stripers on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait and on bucktails. Smaller boats had better success on them than larger boats did. The store’s striper tournament, for surf anglers, is also under way, until December 31. Entry is $10, and all entry fees will be paid out for first, second and third prizes. First gets 50 percent, and second gets 30 and third gets 20. A prize for fourth place is new this year: a Tsunami Air Wave surf-rod that Folsom Corporation is providing. Stripers must be 28 inches or larger, the legal size, to be entered. In the Long Beach Island Classic, stripers must be 34 inches or larger. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

Striped bass started to show up the last few days, said Brian from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The migration didn’t arrive in full force yet, but the numbers caught increased. The stripers were boated on the ocean between the red and white towers on Long Beach Island. Lots of bunker schooled, and the bass were taken on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, and on trolled bunker spoons. A few stripers were clammed at Little Egg Inlet. Four stripers, probably in the mid 30 inches to the mid 40 inches, were reported eeled on Great Bay during the weekend. Fishing from Graveling Point, the shore-angling spot, on the bay wasn’t worthwhile. Nothing really swam there. The blackfish bag limit will be increased to six starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Blackfish, good-sized, hugged ocean wrecks and reefs, boaters said. So did sea bass. Blackfishing along Barnegat Inlet’s rocks seemed to produce fewer keepers than before, or it was harder to bag a keeper.  Fresh, shucked clams and live green crabs and grass shrimp are stocked. The shrimp are a favorite bait for white perch, but nothing was reported about the perch.

<b>Absecon</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 11/14:***</b> Striped bass fishing seemed to be picking up pretty decently, said Curt from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>. Bigger bass were sometimes caught more frequently than before in the back bay, and lots of throwbacks were hooked there. In the ocean, large stripers seemed to begin filtering in more than before, since about Wednesday. The population of those large, migrating bass seemed to move back and forth between Beach Haven, on Long Beach Island, all the way north to Belmar. Bunker that the bass foraged on schooled the ocean locally at times. They were kind of “moving on,” he said. Bunker reportedly schooled thick farther north in the ocean, from about Island Beach State Park to Belmar or Shark River Inlet, sometimes with lots of large stripers on them. Capt. Dave, the shop’s owner, boated a good-sized keeper on the ocean off the Red Tower on Long Beach Island. Whether the large population of stripers will move into local waters, including the bay, when it inevitably swims south will be seen. That depends on where the bait swims, depending on conditions the bait prefers in a given year. The stripers are definitely following bunker and sand eels. On the local ocean, the bass were trolled on bunker spoons and Stretch plugs or were jigged. That angling seemed better a little to the north. In the bay locally, boaters anchored and fished bunker chunks or clams, drifted livelined spots or threw Gulp swim baits during daytime. At night, they livelined eels, and during mornings and at dusk, threw plugs. One angler boated a 30-pounder and a couple of other keepers on the bay while anchored and fishing with fresh bunker. In the bay, stripers seemed maybe to hug the sod banks coming into Broad Creek, moving in with incoming tide, and out with outgoing. For striper fishing in any of these places, putting in time seemed to pay off. Anglers couldn’t expect to head out on one trip and load the boat. Putting in time let anglers learn to catch, depending on aspects like tide.  Blackfishing was good, both on the ocean and the bay, and the bag limit will be jumped up to six of the tautog starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Curt, a white perch angler, bailed a great catch of perch on Mullica River a couple of weeks ago. They weren’t jumbos, but were a satisfying size, like 10 to 11 ½ inches. Perch began to gather or bunch up in deeper holes, because of dropping water temperatures, and that can help with the angling. Perch usually become mixed with stripers, weakfish and herring, all together, at the mouth of the river this time of year, and Curt would like to give that a try. Live spots, eels and green crabs are stocked. A few live peanut bunkers remain on hand. Fresh bunker and clams are carried.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Two anglers stopped in with a 22-pound 39-inch striped bass boated from the ocean off Brigantine on an eel, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. That seemed a good sign, and some bunker were around in the water on the trip. Andy bagged a 29-inch striper and released a throwback along the sod banks on the back bay on livelined spots on a boat trip with customer Joe Jr. Joe is a sharpie at the fishing. But eeling for the bay’s stripers really seemed best. From the surf, stripers were beached here and there, nothing so exciting. But the striper migration is coming, Andy thinks, and another from the surf was seen today at the store. Baits stocked include fresh bunker and eels. The annual Riptide Striper Bounty was up to $1,090 last Thursday, the last time Andy was asked the amount for this report. Sponsored by Hess Plumbing, the bounty awards the total entry fees to the angler who enters the season’s first striped bass 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. Entry is $5 and required before catching the fish. The annual Riptide Striper Derby is under way until December 23, awarding prizes, and allowing beach-buggy access to Brigantine’s entire length, when accompanied by a Brigantine beach-buggy permit. Otherwise, not all the beach can be driven. The Brigantine Elks Fall Striper Classic will be held tonight through Sunday. Proceeds from the tournament, for boaters and surf anglers, will benefit the Elks’ veterans programs.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Lots of blackfish, good-sized, gathered along Absecon Inlet, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers fish the nearby inlet, lined with jetties, on foot, and they soak green crabs for bait for the tautog. The bag limit will be raised to six of the slipperies starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Straggler striped bass, smaller ones, close to 28 inches once in a while, were beaned from the inlet, and the migration of large stripers seemed to be swimming south toward local waters. Maybe this cold front will help pull them down.  When stripers were caught currently, they were clammed, eeled, bunker-chunked or plugged from the inlet. Green crabs are $4 per dozen or three dozen for $10, and eels are $1.50 apiece or $15 per dozen. Baits stocked, a large supply, also include fresh bunker and clams. Enter the <b><i>***48 Hour Striper Happy Hour***</i></b> for free at the shop. The striper tournament, to be held November 21 to 23, is for Atlantic City’s beaches only, and will offer a $400 purse. That’s a $300 cash winner and a $50 gift certificate apiece to One Stop and Ducktown Tavern in Atlantic City. Get a 10-percent discount just for registering at the store. Friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-stop-bait-tackle/362952943747080?rf=151870514855225" target="_blank">One Stop on Facebook</a>.

<b>Longport</b>

Angling resumed today on the <b>Stray Cat</b>, Capt. Mike said. The boat was dry-docked for painting a moment previously. The trip tried for striped bass and blues, trolling “all the way to Sea Isle Lump,” he said, and at places like the Cuma Lumps. “All up and down,” he said. None of the fish showed up, and tons of bait and lots of gannets were seen. But blackfish bit like nuts, when the trip switched to bottom-fishing for them. A couple of 8- and 9-pounders were smoked, and after a limit of one per angler was creamed, more blackfish were caught and released for 2 hours, until the crabs for bait ran out. So the blackfishing was pretty good, and that was welcome, because the bag limit will be shot up to six of the tautog starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Charters are fishing, and an open-boat trip for blackfish is sold out on Sunday. But room is available on more of the open trips on Monday and Tuesday. The Stray Cat will keep fishing for stripers and blackfish.

<b>Ocean City</b>

The party boat <b>Miss Ocean City</b> last fished on Saturday, Capt. Victor said, and sea bass catches were good on the trip. Pretty much all sea bass, no other fish, bit, and that was covered in the last report. Open-boat trips are fishing the ocean every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, unless a group wants to sail on another day. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount.

Most striped bass swam the back bay, said Bill from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. Most were small or 25 to 28 inches, but some were bigger, and most of the bigger were chunked on bunker. A 41-pound striper was bagged at the inlet at the beginning of the week, and a 20-pounder was mugged along the 9th Street Bridge in the bay. Those were the two largest reported recently, and Bill wasn’t asked what they were caught on. When stripers were plugged, they were usually beached from the surf along the island’s north end jetties, and were usually small. But sometimes one was a keeper. Not a lot of stripers were heard about from the surf, but one was here and there, and not many were sizable, but sometimes one was a keeper, not large. Again, most larger stripers came from the bay. A little was heard about sea bass boated from the ocean, and not many anglers seemed to sail for them. Anglers waited to sail for blackfish on the ocean starting on Sunday, when the bag limit will be increased to six, from the current limit of one. The blackfishing will probably be good.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

A 52.4-pound striped bass won the weekend’s South Jersey Striper Slam, the tournament from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, Mike from the shop said. Two stripers just under 30 pounds apiece won second and third places, and all three fish were boated on the ocean, and the tournament went great, and some nice stripers were entered. He plans to hold the contest, for boaters and surf anglers, again next year. Boating for stripers on the ocean was spotty during the weekend and this week, but the one consistent aspect was that most of the bass, large fish, were taken at dawn. To catch, boaters had lines in the water by like 6:30 a.m., and bites were finished after 8 a.m. The fish were trolled on umbrella rigs with rubber shads, mostly chartreuse, and Stretch plugs. A few stripers were beached from the surf, none big, but some life began to be seen. A 15-pounder was just weighed from the surf, when Mike gave this report today in a phone call, and a couple of 12-pounders were bagged from the shore in past days. On the back bay, striper fishing was similar. None of the fish was especially large, but some life was seen. Sea bass fishing was terrific farther from shore, like at the Deepwater Reef.  Four or five customers fished the Deepwater Reef during the weekend, saying sea bassing was drop-and-reel. Anglers better crank quickly, because big, gator blues bit the sea bass in half, otherwise. Blackfishing was pretty good from shore to 5 miles out, and the bag limit will be ratcheted up to six of the tautog starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one.

Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>, fished deep-water wrecks on Monday on the ocean with Tom Herter and Joe’s wife, Joe said. They landed more than their limits of sea bass, not keeping that many, drop-and-reel fishing, pretty great, Joe said. The life expectancy of a clam bait on bottom was like a half-second, he said! Closer to shore, blackfishing’s also been great, and the bag limit will become six of the tautog starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one. Many great places for blackfish are located locally, and a trip with Joe did some of the blackfishing during the weekend, covered in the last report. The full-force striped bass migration is impending in the local ocean. The run already began, and will gradually improve, and continues into December, especially locally. Lock in dates for those trips now. Annual traveling charters to the Florida Keys will fish from Christmas to Easter, mostly on weekends, and need to be planned now. Joe can help arrange travel and accommodations, and the trips can target a large variety of catches, from speckled sea trout and redfish to tarpon and sailfish. Anglers can arrive on a Friday, fish all day Saturday and part of Sunday, return Sunday evening and be back to work on Monday morning, or can visit on a different schedule. See <a href="http://www.captainjoehughes.com/page3.html" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s traveling charters Web page</a>. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trips are slated to fish this weekend for striped bass on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Blackfishing will be available starting Sunday, when the bag limit will be hiked to six of the tautog, from the current limit of one. Anglers aboard might sea bass fish in the next days, too.

<b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b> was about to sail for striped bass today, Capt. Frank said this morning in a phone call. A trip aboard Wednesday decked four stripers to 25 pounds, all good-sized, at the Cape May Rips on livelined spots. Chunking bunker on Delaware Bay produced no stripers on the trip, so the boat was moved to the rips. At the rips, about four other boats fished during the outing, and “didn’t do much,” Frank thought, he said. He called in a party boat, and one sizeable striper was reeled in on the vessel, from the hill Melanie Anne was fishing, Frank thought. Lots of fish were marked at the rips on Melanie Anne’s trip. Trips will keep striper fishing, and will be able to fish for a combo of stripers and blackfish starting on Sunday, if anglers want. The blackfish bag limit will be cranked up to six that day, from the current limit of one. Good blackfishing is available on the bay. Trips can striper fish and then blackfish without traveling far.

Most sea bass are schooling farther from shore, in 20 fathoms, said Capt. Paul from the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>. Sea bassing aboard gave up lots of action on Tuesday, Veterans’ Day, but not as many keepers as on Saturday aboard. Was a nice trip on Saturday, he said. The boat will fish next at 8 a.m. this coming Saturday, for sea bass. Starting Sunday, the Porgy IV will begin blackfishing at 8 a.m. daily. That’s because the bag limit will be lifted to six of the tautog starting that day, from the current limit of one. Because sea bass are mostly swimming farther from shore, fishing for them has been best when enough anglers showed up, like on weekends or good-weather days. Then sailing that far is cost-effective. Blackfishing could give a better shot at good catches when fewer anglers show up, and trips fish closer to the coast. 

Sounded like Delaware Bay’s striped bass fishing was pretty good, like at 60-Foot Slough, on chunked bunker, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish seemed to be quality-sized, and one customer bagged two this morning. Stripers were also decked at the Cape May Rips on the troll and on livelined spots or eels. Also sounded like surf fishing began to turn on a little for throwback stripers. A few anglers beached them on clams or bunker. Nick joined a charter on the Common Sense that limited out on sea bass offshore on Monday. A bonito, a Boston mackerel and a 10- or 15-pound bluefish were also pumped in. Blackfish snapped along Cape May Inlet’s rocks, so blackfishing will probably be good along the inlet and in the ocean, when the bag limit is jacked up to six starting on Sunday, from the current limit of one blackfish. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, shucked and in the shell, spots, eels and green crabs are stocked.

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